“What kind of legacy do you want to leave for your children?”
That was the question asked as a I sat at the table among friends during the Christmas holiday. The question was asked as part of an icebreaker, but sitting there in that moment, it seemed much bigger than that, and certainly not the type of question I felt I could answer on the fly.
But this week, as we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I can’t NOT answer that question. As I flip through the pages of history books and show my children images of ‘Colored Only’ signs and burning crosses, the ruins of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, and Ruby Bridges taking her first steps into an all-white elementary school; the 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery, Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and Mrs. Coretta Scott King standing over the casket of the husband whose memory and legacy she and her children would be left to uphold…I MUST answer that question.
What kind of legacy do I want to leave for my children? A legacy of empowerment – a legacy of being empowered, and of empowering others.
On Being Empowered
I want to leave my children with a legacy of empowerment that comes from living a life fully submitted to Christ; a legacy rooted in the understanding that Christ, by His authority, has empowered me (and empowers them) to do all things. I want to leave them with a legacy filled with evidence of obedience to the Father; obedience that opened the door for the manifestation of all that He’s empowered me to do, and that will also allow them to experience the Lord’s everlasting love and righteousness.
From my legacy, I want my children to always remember that although the world will try to establish boundaries for them, tell them what they cannot do because of who they are, that they serve a limitless God, and because of whose they are – heirs to His throne and joint heirs with Christ, they have the power and authority to do whatever He allows.
On Empowering Others
Knowing all that God has empowered me to do, the legacy I leave for my children must also be one of empowering others. It must include recognizing the importance of taking what we’ve been given and using it to help make the lives of others richer and more meaningful. I want my legacy to be one of equipping others with the tools, resources and wisdom they need to be successful in every area of their lives.
I want my legacy to compel my children, their children, and their children’s children to do good for others; to be a light in darkness, to be a voice for those who cannot speak, those who suffer injustice, and those who simply do not realize that empowerment is available to them.
Tomorrow will mark my 39th birthday, and as I reflect on the legacy that I wish to leave for my children, and the life that I have lived thus far, much has been accomplished. However, there is much more work to be done. And so, with my desired legacy at the forefront of my mind, I set out to live each day with purpose. I will be intentional. I will continue to write my story, so that it is one that will be read for generations to come.
What will be your legacy?